Kansas · Corporation
How to Start a Corporation in Kansas
Kansas ties the annual report to your own tax year, and it accepts a surprisingly long list of name endings.
See the stepsShort answer
To start a corporation in Kansas, file Articles of Incorporation with the Secretary of State for $85 online or $90 on paper. At checkout that is $90 for Kansas plus $123.75 for our formation, $213.75 before card processing. Each year you then file an annual report for $53 online or $55 on paper, due after your tax year ends. For a December year end, that is January 1 to April 15.
Last checked .How do I incorporate in Kansas, step by step?
Kansas ties your annual report to your tax year. Online articles are processed within minutes, and you can print the certified copy right away.
Choose and check the name
A Kansas name needs a word of formation, such as Corporation, Incorporated, Company, Limited, Corp., Inc., Co. or Ltd. The list also allows Association, Club, Foundation, Fund, Institute, Society and Syndicate. See the Kansas name search guide.
Name a registered agent
Every corporation needs one in the state (the rule). Ours is $74.25 a year.
File articles of incorporation, domestic corporation
File the Articles of Incorporation, Domestic (Kansas) Corporation with Kansas. The fee at our checkout is $90. Details are below.
Adopt bylaws
Bylaws are the board's rules: how directors are elected, how meetings run and how officers are chosen. Every corporation we form includes them.
Name directors, officers and issue shares
A Kansas board has one or more directors, each a natural person, with the number set in the bylaws or articles. 6 Hold an organizational meeting, record it in minutes, and issue stock to the owners.
Get an EIN
The EIN is the corporation's federal tax ID. The IRS issues it free at irs.gov.
Register for state taxes
Register with Kansas Department of Revenue: business tax registration (sales and withholding) online. 9
File the annual report
Put the first deadline on your calendar before you file anything else. See the Kansas annual report page and the filings below.
How much does it cost to incorporate in Kansas?
| Item | Cost | When |
|---|---|---|
| State fees (what our checkout charges) | $90 | At filing |
| Our formation, bylaws included | $123.75 | At filing |
| Total for the filing | $213.75 | Before card processing |
| With our registered agent for a year (Formation + Registered Agent) | $268.20 | At filing |
| With the Day-One Bundle | $312 | At filing |
| Annual Report (for-profit corporation) (each year) | $53 7 | tied to your tax year end: for a December year end, between January 1 and April 15 |
| Registered agent after the first year | $74.25 a year | Optional |
Card processing is added at checkout and shown before you pay. State fees: $90, the Kansas fee for articles filed on paper (online filing is $85). 1 2
Kansas at a glance
| Question | Kansas |
|---|---|
| Formation filing and state fee | Articles of Incorporation, Domestic (Kansas) Corporation, $85 3 |
| Name rule | Must contain a word of formation such as Corporation, Incorporated, Company, Limited, Corp., Inc., Co. or Ltd. (the list also includes Association, Club, Foundation, Fund, Institute, Society, Syndicate, Union, University) 4 |
| Registered agent | Resident agent (an individual, a business registered in Kansas, or the business itself) with a registered office address in Kansas; no P.O. box 5 |
| Directors and officers | At least 1 director 6 |
| Annual report | Annual Report (for-profit corporation), $53, due tied to your tax year end: for a December year end, between January 1 and April 15 7 |
| Corporate income tax | 3.5%, plus a 3% surtax on income over $50,000 8 |
Do I need a registered agent in Kansas?
A Kansas corporation needs a resident agent and a registered office at an address in Kansas where the agent may be regularly present, and the address cannot be a P.O. box. 5 You can be your own agent if you have a street address in the state and are there in business hours, but the address goes on the public record. Ours, through our partner Registered Agents Inc, is $74.25 a year, or $178.20 with the formation. Kansas registered agent rules.
What goes in the Kansas articles of incorporation, domestic corporation?
File Articles of Incorporation, Domestic (Kansas) Corporation. Name a resident agent and a registered office at a Kansas address, not a P.O. box.
Which annual reports and franchise taxes will a Kansas corporation owe?
File the annual report after each tax year ends. Register with the Department of Revenue for sales and withholding tax.
- A Kansas for-profit corporation files an annual report for $53 online or $55 on paper, due after each tax year end (for a December year end, between January 1 and April 15). 7
- A Kansas C corporation pays a 3.5% normal tax on Kansas taxable income plus a 3% surtax on the amount above $50,000 (2025 instructions; no 2026 booklet published). 8
How do I start an S corp in Kansas?
A corporation is a C corporation unless it elects otherwise. An S corp is a tax election, not another kind of entity. The order is plain: form the corporation, get the EIN, then file IRS Form 2553 within 2 months and 15 days after start of the tax year the election takes effect (or any time in the prior tax year) 11. Kansas lets a corporation that elects S status file Form K-120S instead of the corporate return. 10
We file Form 2553 for $165. Run your own numbers in the calculator or read Kansas: S corp or C corp.
Should I form a corporation or an LLC in Kansas?
Shares, a board and officers. The usual choice when you plan to raise money from investors or issue stock options.
Fewer formalities and flexible ownership. Often the simpler choice for one owner or a small team.
Compare the two: How to start an LLC in Kansas.
Raising venture money? Investors usually ask for a Delaware C corporation, which you then register in Kansas as a foreign corporation. See how to start a corporation in Delaware.
What do I do after filing in Kansas?
- Adopt the bylaws and hold the first board meeting; write minutes.
- Issue stock to the owners and keep a stock ledger.
- Get the EIN, open a business bank account and keep money separate.
Form your Kansas corporation
We file it for $123.75 plus the state fee ($90), with bylaws included. Add the registered agent for $178.20 in all, or take the Day-One Bundle at $222.
Common questions
How much does it cost to incorporate in Kansas?
$85 online or $90 on paper. The annual report is $53 online or $55 on paper.
When is the Kansas annual report due for a corporation?
After your tax year ends. For a December year end, between January 1 and April 15.
Can a Kansas registered agent use a P.O. box?
No. The registered office must be a Kansas address where the agent may be regularly present.
What words can a Kansas corporation name use?
A word of formation such as Corporation, Incorporated, Company or Limited, or Association, Club, Foundation or Syndicate.
Sources 11 links, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Kansas: For-profit articles, online, $85. sos.ks.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Kansas: For-profit articles, paper, $90. sos.ks.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- In Kansas you file Articles of Incorporation with the Secretary of State for $85 online or $90 on paper. sos.ks.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- A Kansas corporation's name must include a word of formation such as Corporation, Incorporated, Company or Limited, or Corp., Inc., Co. or Ltd.; the state's list also allows words such as Association, Club, Foundation and Syndicate. sos.ks.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- A Kansas corporation needs a resident agent and a registered office at an address in Kansas where the agent may be regularly present, and the address cannot be a P.O. box. sos.ks.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- A Kansas board has one or more directors, each a natural person, with the number set in the bylaws or articles. ksrevisor.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- A Kansas for-profit corporation files an annual report for $53 online or $55 on paper, due after each tax year end (for a December year end, between January 1 and April 15). sos.ks.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- A Kansas C corporation pays a 3.5% normal tax on Kansas taxable income plus a 3% surtax on the amount above $50,000 (2025 instructions; no 2026 booklet published). ksrevenue.gov, checked Nov 6, 2026
- A Kansas business registers for its sales and withholding tax accounts with the Department of Revenue. ksrevenue.gov, checked Nov 7, 2026
- Kansas lets a corporation that elects S status file Form K-120S instead of the corporate return. ksrevenue.gov, checked Nov 6, 2026
- IRS: Form 2553 instructions irs.gov, checked Nov 6, 2026
Last verified Nov 7, 2026.
This page explains the rules; it is not legal or tax advice.